Journal grinder and attachment therefor



April 30, 1957 A. E. BAUGH JOURNAL GRINDER AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed Sept. 12, 1955 Iii/(1-3.

INVENTOR. Ancma E. BAUGH mmumws,

ATTOZ/YCV United States Patent 6 JOURNAL GRINDER AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Archie E. Baugh, Bloomington, Ind.

Application October 12, 1955, Serial No. 540,043

4 Claims. (Cl. 51-241) This invention relates to grinding means, and more particularly, to means having its primary utility in grinding the main journals of the crankshaft of an engine.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a device for use in grinding a main journal of the crankshaft of an engine without removing the crankshaft from operative association with the engine.

A further important object of this invention is to provide an attachment for securing to an engine a supporting means which is adapted to support a grinding wheel having an abrasive surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for cooperation with a portion of the grinding device disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,309,615, granted May 6, 1941, to Joseph Sunnen, and to thereby provide a new combination for grinding the main journals of the crankshaft of an engine while the crankshaft remains disposed in operative association with the engine. A further object of my invention is to provide such an attachment and resulting combination which permit the use of a grinding wheel having an abrasive surface of smaller dimension than the axial length of the journal to be ground.

Further objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific constructions illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of my improved grinding device operatively disposed with respect to an engine;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the embodiment of my improved attachment included in Fig. 1 along with the slideway and portion of the main bearing support with which it cooperates, parts of this view being broken away for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a slightly modified form of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of another embodiment of my improved attachment in the same environment as the attachments of Figs. 2 and 3, parts of this view being broken away for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7, 7 of Fig 2.

In Fig. 1, a portion of crankshaft 10 is shown in operative relationship with an engine 11. My invention finds its most important application in the grinding of the main journals of a crankshaft, and in so doing, a substantial portion of the structure of the device disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,309,615, granted May 6, 1941, to

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Joseph Sunnen, is utilized. This structure comprises a grinder supporting means which includes a frame 12. Frame 12 includes a pair of bracket members 13, 13 (similar to member 86 of Figs. 16 and 17 of the Sunnen patent) which are secured to the upper crankcase after the lower portion of the crankcase has been removed; these bracket members being fixed to the upper crankcase by means of screws which are tightened into threaded engagement with a plurality of the tapped bores in the upper crankcase, which bores are normally provided for the reception of the bolts which secure the lower crankcase thereto. Each of brackets 13, 13 provides a respective bearing 14 for the support of a countershaft 15 (similar to Sunnens 91) therein. Connecting rods or frame members 16, 16 (similar to Sunnens 92, 92) are rigidly connected to countershaft 15 in parallelism with each other, and these members 16, 16 are provided at their free ends with bearings 17, 17, respectively, to receive the guide shaft 18 (similar to Sunnens 94). It will be noted that the tapped bores in the upper crankcase, which were exposed by removal of the lower crankcase, are conventionally formed in a line parallel with the axis of crankshaft 10. For that reason, each of shafts 15 and 1-8 will lie in parallelism with each other and with the axis of crankshaft 10. Frame 12 further includes a walking beam or member 19 (similar to Sunnens 141) which is pivotally mounted on shaft 18 by means of bearing 20 and pivotally supports means mounting the grinding wheel on the frame 12.

The means for mounting the grinding wheel on the frame includes a guide means 22 (similar to the arm 16 of the Sunnen patent) pivoted on member 19 about bearing 21 (similar to Sunnens bearing 17). Guide means 22 rockably supports a motor housing 23 (similar to Sunnens 19) which, through driving shaft 24, supports a grinding stone or wheel 25 (similar to Sunnens 31). As clearly brought out in the above-mentioned patent to Sunnen, member 23 is rockably mounted on guide means 22 such that, when guide means 22 is correctly positioned about the axis of the main journal 27 to be ground, the plane of the abrasive surface of grinding wheel 25 will remain in engagement with, and tangential to, main journal 27 as this abrasive surface is swept transaxially across that journal. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by so sweeping the abrasive surface across the journal being ground, the accuracy of the surface of the grinding wheel, as well as the effective life of the grinding wheel, is significantly prolonged. A hand wheel 26 operatively connected through guide means 22 to member 23 (for instance, in the manner of Sunnens connection of his hand-wheel 35) provides means for controllably effecting the rockable movement of member 23 with respect to guide means 22.

To suitably fix the positionof guide means 22 about the axis of crankshaft 10, the attachment 30 may be utilized. Attachment 30 represents one of a plurality of alternative forms disclosed herein. Referring to Figs. 2 and 5, this attachment includes an elongated bar 31 providing adjacent one end thereof a bifurcated hook 32. Attachment 30 further includes a pin 33 which may be threadedly engaged with one of the tapped bores which normally receive the bolts or studs for retaining the bearing cap against the bearing support 34. Of course, the bearing cap (not shown) must be removed to provide access to the main journal 27 to be ground. Pin 33 is threaded into the stud or bolt bore and secured in position by means of jam nut 35. Means, in the form of a spherical member or ball 36, is provided forconnecting hook ,32 v

provided by hook 32. Recess 37 is substantially complementary, in shape to spherical member 36 whereby bar 31 is pivotal or swingable about member 36.

Bar 31 is formed with bevelled side portions 40, 40 whereby bar 31 may be interfitted with respect to a slideway 42 provided by and fixed with respectto theremainderof guide means 22 .as clearly shown-in Fig. 1. Bar 31 is further provided'wit'h an elongated slot 45 through which a headed bolt 43 may be-passed. Slideway. 42, slot 45, bolt 43 and nut 44-provide-means for fixedly connecting bar 31 in longitudinally adjusted relation to guidemeans 22. That is, bar 31 may be secure-dto slideway 42 by tightening down nut 44 on bolt 43 afterbar 31 is longitudinally adjusted with respect to,slideway 42 at v the desired position.

. Referring to Fig. 3, an attachment 30 is shown Whichis similar in all respects tozthe attachment embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 5, except that elongated. bar 31 ofthe .embodiment shownin Fig. 3 includesa transversely bent or curved portion 47. The differing construction and arrangement of parts of the various vehicle engines now in use require .that this alternative construction be provided to conveniently position guide means 22 with respect to the axis of crankshaft 10.

With any one of the herein disclosed devicesembodying my invention, the grinding operation on the main journal of the crankshaft can be performed while the engine is in situ on the chassis of the vehicle or is removed from the vehicle and'mounted on an engine stand. In either case, this grinding operation can be performed without removing the crankshaft from operative relation with the engine. Preferably, the spark plugs are removed from the engine block since the crankshaft will later be forcibly rotated. The lower half of the crankcase is removed and, preferably, the bearing cap of only the main journal to be ground is removed. All of the bearing cap retainer studs (or bolts) of that main journal are removed since, although only one of the tapped bores for the retainer studs is utilized by my improved device, any studs not removed may well interfere with the use of micrometers which must be conventionally used to measure and check dimensions of the journal during the grinding process. For optimum results, all'of the main journals except that for the journal being groundshould be snug. Ifany of the main journals are loose with respect to their bearing inserts, they should be rendered snug either by installing new inserts or by inserting a piece of shim stock between the old insert and the respective bearing cap.

In utilizing the above-described embodiment of Figs. 1,- 2, 3 and 5, brackets 13, 13 of frame 12 may ;be affixed to the upper crankcase by means of screws which are tightened into threaded engagement with a plurality of, the tapped bores in the upper crankcase, which bores, as noted above, are normally provided for the reception of the bolts which secure the lower crankcase thereto.

The frame 12 is adjusted by moving shaft 18 axially along bearings 17, 17 to bring the abrasive surface of grinding wheel..25 into longitudinal alignment with respect to the main journal 27 to be ground. It will be noted that with this embodiment, the diameter of the abrasive surface of grinding wheel 25, should be equal to the length of the main journal to be ground. Then, so long as shafts 15 and 18 and member 19 are prevented from moving axiallyin their respective bearings, grinding wheel 25 will be fixed longitudinally with respect to the main journal to be ground. However, guide member 22 and members 19, 16 and 16 are freely pivotal about their respective bearings. To fixguide member 22 withrespect tothe journal to be ground, my improved attachment 30 or 30' may be utilized.

Pin 33is threaded into one of thetappedthores which normally receives a bearing cap stud, and jamnnt 35 is tightened into. engagement with-the. lower edge of the bearing supportiasindicated-"in -each of Figs. 1, 2, 3

and 5. Bifurcated hook 32 is then placed over spherical member or ball 36 to bring recess 37 into interfitting engagement with ball 36 whereby bar 31 is pivotal about spherical member 36 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of crankshaft as well as in a plane parallel to and intersecting this axis. Bar 31 may then be secured in adjusted position in slideway 42 which is provided by guide member 22. It must be remembered that the position in which bar 31 is adjustably secured in slideway 10 42 must be such that as member 23 is rocked with respect to member 22, theplane of the abrasive surface of thegrinding wheel remains tangential to the main journal being ground. Since recess 37 and spherical member 36 provide a connection between pin 33 and bar 31 such that bar 31 is pivotal or swingable about member 36 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the crankshaft, guide member 22 can be easily adjusted to the correct position'bysliding bar 31 along slideway 42 andtightening nut 44 when this position is reached.

That is, bymeans of attachment 30 or 30', guide means 22islfixedlynpositioned .withlrespectto the axis of crankshaft 10 such that upon ,rockable movement of member :23 by'hand wheel. .26, .therplanar, abrasive surfaceof the grinding wheel can be swept across the journal to zbe ground while this abrasive surface remains .tan-

gential with :respect to .this journal.

.Ini operation, crankshaft ;10 .is forcibly rotated, 'for example, by disposing the rear wheels ofIthe vehiclein operative..'association; on a drivable drum. Alternatively,:.if the: engine iszmountedon anengine stand, a. suitably;.driven.-belt inj drivingengagement withthe crankshaftmay-bexused. :51 he grindingwheel is fed up against the :mainljournal: 27. .As the grinding operation proceeds, 'the:grinding.wheel maybe swept transversely across 5 the :journalby. :means of hand wheel 26, and themain journal "27 can thenbe accurately ground-to provide a practically. perfect surface.

With respect to the embodiment of attachment A asshown in-FigsJ-4 and .6, it-will beseenthat anelongated bar 50 is provided having a bifurcated hook 51. Attachment 30A: includes a T-bolt 52 having a threaded pin 53 which may be secured to hearing support 34 by jam nut 54in the same manner that pin-33 of the embodiment-"shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3;and5 is secured by jam nut 35. T-boltl52 has a; transversely extending arm or member 55'. which separably interfits with bifurcated hook 51 wand-thereby provides. connecting -means between-hook 51 and pin 53 for pivotal'movement of bar 50 about member in a plane perpendicularto the axis of crankshaft 10. -T-bolt- 52-carriesa stop member-56 at each of its ends. As. is-apparent from-Fig; 6; a substantial amount of play is provided forslidable move- 'ment' of-hook- '51s. axially along transversely extending v55 member SS. T This feature is important forreasons which will'abecome-apparent-when -the operation of this embodiment is "explained later in this description. Bar 50 may be provided with a bend'or curve at 57 and 58, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4- to accommodate thecon- 09 st'ruotion and arrangement of-parts of the particular engine being worked upon. It willbe understood -that eitherof the embodiments shown in" Figs. 1, 2, 3 andS or-Figs. 4 and 6; respectively, can be provided with no bend between the hook and the distal end of the bar as (35 shown in Fig. 2, withone bend as shown in Fig. 3-or with a plurality of bends as shown in Fig. 4. Alternatively, of course, 'ratherthan one or -more-of these relatively sharp bendsor. curves, each-of the respective barscould be formed in a smooth curve from the bevelled 7t) portion to the hookportionthereof.

Elongatedibar-50 -mayalso be provided with'an elongated'slot -60 and' -bevelled.portions61, 61 which cooperate with slideway" 42 in the same manner as the correspondingparts intheembodiments shown in Figs; 2 .75 and-3, :respectively. 1 That-is, after adjustment of bar 50 along slideway 42 to the correct position, nut 44 may be tightened on bolt 43 to rigidly maintain guide member 22 in position about the axis of crankshaft 10.

In operation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the attachment is mounted in the same manner as that described above in connection with the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Of course, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 6 the bifurcated hook 51 is disposed in engagement with transversely extending member 55 to provide the pivotal connection between bar 50 and pin 53. When grinding the journals of a crankshaft which is mounted in situ on an engine, access of the grinding wheel to the subject journal is often limited. Accordingly, it is frequently preferable, if not necessary, to utilize a grinding wheel 25 having an abrasive surface of a diameter smaller than the axial length of the main journal 27 to be ground. Attachment 30A accommodates this situation by permitting grinding Wheel 25 to be moved axially along main journal 27 from one ad jacent journal cheek to the other. Accordingly, attachment 30A permits substantially the same functions as that permitted by attachments 3t) and 30, and in addition, permits movement of the abrasive surface of grinding wheel 25 axially along main journal 27 during the grinding operation. Utilizing this embodiment, main journal 27 is ground by forcibly rotating crankshaft 10, bringing the abrasive surface of rotating grinding wheel 25 into engagement with the journal surface, and sweeping the abrasive surface of the grinding wheel transaxially across the journal while also moving this abrasive surface axially of the journal from one adjacent journal cheek to the other.

Accordingly, it will be apparent that I have provided several forms of attachments, each of which is capable of cooperating with a portion of the device disclosed in the above-mentioned patent to provide a device for grinding the main journals of the crankshaft while it remains in operative association with its engine. Thus the expense and time loss occasioned by the removal of a crankshaft from its engine to grind one or more of its main journals is avoided by the use of my invention and a commercially perfect journal surface is readily and etficiently provided. Furthermore, after the grinding operation has been finished utilizing myunventron, new, standard, commercially obtainable bearing 1nserts may be provided to seat the ground journals as distinguished from new, specially cut bearing seats which are often required as the result of using conventional grinding equipment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for grinding a main journal of the crankshaft of an engine while said crankshaft remains disposed in operative association with the engine, said device comprising a grinding wheel having an abrasive face lying in a plane, a frame adapted to be connected for relative movement with respect to said engine, means mounting said grinding wheel on said frame, said means including guide means permitting swinging movement of said abrasive face transaxially of the main journal to be ground while said plane remains tangential to t at main journal, and an attachment, said attachment including a pin adapted to be fixedly tightened in threaded engagement with the tapped bore for a bearing cap stud of the main bearing for said journal, an elongated bar formed with a hook adjacent one end thereof, means connecting said hook and pin, when said pin is so positioned, for movement of said bar along a plane perpendicular to said first-mentioned plane and means for fixedly connecting said bar in longitudinally adjusted relation to said guide means.

2. A device for grinding a main journal of the crankshaft of an engine while said crankshaft remains disposed in operative association with the engine, said device comprising a grinding wheel having an abrasive face lying in a plane, a frame adapted to be connected for relative movement with respect to said engine, means mounting said grinding wheel on said frame, said means including guide means permitting swinging movement of said abrasive face transaxially of the main journal to be ground while said plane remains tangential to that main journal, and an attachment, said attachment including a pin adapted to be fixedly tightened in threaded engagement with the tapped bore for a bearing cap stud of the main bearing for said journal, a spherical member fixed adjacent the distal end of said pin, an elongated bar formed with a bifurcated hook adjacent one end thereof, said bifurcated hook providing a recess substantially complementary in shape to and separably inter-fitting with said spherical member to permit pivotal movement of said bar about said spherical member and along a plane perpendicular to said firstmentioned plane, and means for fixedly connecting said bar in longitudinally adjusted relation to said guide means.

3. A device for grinding a main journal of the crankshaft of an engine while said crankshaft remains disposed in operative association with the engine, said device comprising a grinding wheel having an 'abrasive face lying in a plane, a frame adapted to be connected for relative movement with respect to said engine, means mounting said grinding Wheel on said frame, said means including guide means permitting swinging movement of said abrasive face transaxially of the main journal to be ground While said plane remains tangential to that main journal, and an attachment, said attaelunent including a pin adapted to be fixedly tightened in threaded engagement with the tapped bore for a bearing cap stud of the main bearing for said journal, a transversely extending member fixed adjacent the distal end of said pin, an elongated bar formed with a hook in separable, slidable engagement with and along the axis of said transversely extending member, said hook and member permitting pivotal movement of said bar along a plane perpendicular to said first-mentioned plane and about the axis of said transversely extending member, and means for fixedly connecting said bar in longitudinally adjusted relation to said guide means.

4. The combination with a shaft grinder comprising a frame, means for securing said frame in a dependent attitude from the upper section of an engine crankcase, guide means having an articulated connection, near one end, to said frame, and a grinding Wheel supported from said guide means, of hook means connected to said guide means near the opposite end of said guide means and adjustable longitudinally relative to said guide means, and anchor means having a threaded shank for connection to such a crankcase upper section and having a transaxial enlargement near one end of said shank, said hook means being engaged with said enlargement for rockable support of said opposite end of said guide means therefrom to dispose said wheel in position to grind a shaft journalled in said crankcase.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 518,825 Pelton Apr. 24, 1894 2,309,615 Sunnen Jan. 26, 1943 2,579,240 Masoner Dec. 18, 1951 2,599,954 Tibbs June 10, 1952 2,617,464 Trumbull Nov. 11, 1952 

